Commercial & industrial gates
A commercial gate is one of the hardest-working parts of a perimeter. It may open dozens of times each day for employees, delivery vehicles, tenants, contractors, equipment, or customers — and at an industrial property it may also need to take tractor-trailers and heavy equipment.
Planned around the property, not the catalogue
Modern Fence Company designs, fabricates, installs, and repairs commercial and industrial gates throughout Fort Smith, Western Arkansas, and Eastern Oklahoma.
Our capabilities include
- Commercial swing gates
- Double-drive gates
- Sliding gates
- Cantilever gates
- Chain link gates
- Ornamental iron gates
- Pedestrian gates
- Custom-sized vehicle gates
- Automatic gates
- Controlled-access gates
- Custom hillside gates
- Replacement gates
- Gate repair and maintenance
We provide gate systems for
- Warehouses
- Manufacturing facilities
- Industrial properties
- Storage facilities
- Equipment yards
- Contractor yards
- Apartment communities
- Commercial parking areas
- Office properties
- Retail centers
- Schools
- Medical facilities
- Hotels
- Municipal properties
- Government facilities
- New developments
An apartment community may need frequent resident access with a controlled pedestrian entrance. A warehouse may need a wide cantilever gate that keeps tractor-trailer traffic moving. An equipment yard may need a simpler manual gate with enough clearance for machinery. The correct system starts with understanding how the entrance will actually be used.
Commercial openings are rarely identical
Our custom gate fabrication capabilities allow us to account for:
- Gate width
- Gate height
- Frame construction
- Fence material
- Vehicle size
- Opening frequency
- Slope
- Ground clearance
- Hinge placement
- Roller systems
- Support posts
- Automatic operator requirements
- Access-control equipment
We fabricate gates for chain link, ornamental iron, and other compatible commercial fence systems. Custom fabrication also helps when replacing an older gate that no longer fits the property’s current traffic or security requirements.
Swing, sliding or cantilever
Commercial swing gates
Effective when the entrance has room for the panels to open without interfering with traffic, buildings, parking, or other site features. Planning should consider opening width, gate weight, swing direction, vehicle stacking, roadway location, wind exposure, grade, support posts and expected operating cycles.
Both sides of a double-swing gate must remain aligned for it to close properly.
Commercial sliding gates
Useful where vehicle stacking space is limited, a wide clear opening is needed, the entrance receives frequent traffic, swinging panels would interfere with operations, or automatic access is planned.
The travel area must stay free of parked vehicles, equipment, stored materials, landscaping, debris, and snow or ice accumulation.
Commercial cantilever gates
Supported beside the opening instead of travelling on a track across the driveway — commonly used at warehouses, storage facilities, industrial properties, apartment communities, commercial parking entrances, government facilities and equipment yards.
Chain link commercial gates
A practical match for storage yards, warehouses, equipment areas, utilities, industrial facilities, contractor properties and municipal sites.
Ornamental commercial gates
Selected for apartment communities, corporate properties, medical facilities, hotels, office properties, schools, municipal buildings and public-facing industrial entrances.
The opening is a traffic area, not a measurement
Plan around the vehicles
- Delivery vans
- Box trucks
- Tractor-trailers
- Equipment trailers
- Service vehicles
- Dump trucks
- Construction equipment
- Emergency vehicles
Vehicle stacking and gate setback
- Distance from the road
- Largest vehicle
- Number of vehicles that may arrive together
- Entry-device placement
- Exit method
- Gate opening time
- Delivery traffic
Separate pedestrian access
Employees, apartment residents, tenants, visitors, contractors and maintenance personnel should not be routed through an active vehicle entrance.
Pedestrian gates can carry their own access control.
An operator cannot correct a dragging gate
Automatic gates provide more efficient vehicle control where opening a gate manually is impractical. The operator must be selected around the actual gate — type, length, weight, expected operating cycles and wind exposure.
An access control system determines who can open the entrance and how access is granted. A small commercial yard may need a straightforward keypad; an apartment community or larger facility may benefit from individual credentials that can be added or removed as residents or employees change.
The access-control system should support the property’s operating procedures rather than make everyday access unnecessarily complicated.
Operators and solar options
The gate operator is only one component. Commercial entrances that operate frequently should be planned differently from gates used a few times per day, and operator placement should allow reasonable access for future service without interfering with vehicles or pedestrians. Solar-powered equipment may be an option for remote properties where bringing conventional power to the gate is difficult — but it is not automatically the right solution for every remote gate.
Slope, rock, clay and uneven pavement
A standard swing gate across a slope may drag or leave excessive ground clearance. Sliding and cantilever systems also require careful planning around changing elevations and available support areas.
Our custom fabrication capabilities allow us to design selected hillside gates or recommend another configuration when a standard design is not practical.
A gate is only as dependable as its supports
Gate posts typically carry greater loads than ordinary fence posts.
Using an appropriately fabricated gate with inadequate supports can still result in alignment and operating problems. We plan the support system around the complete entrance.
Commercial gates wear because they move
Our commercial fence repair and maintenance services include qualifying gate repair. Because we fabricate gates in-house, we may also be able to repair or replace custom metal components that cannot be purchased as standard parts.
When repeated repairs are caused by an undersized or poorly designed gate, replacement may provide a better solution.
Automatic gate and access-control repair
A commercial entrance that stops working may have a physical gate problem, an operator problem, an access-control problem, or a combination of the three — an operator may appear to be failing when the gate itself is dragging or out of alignment.
Our fence, gate fabrication, and access-control capabilities allow us to evaluate these systems together. Dedicated operator, keypad, reader and intercom problems are addressed through our access-control services.
Maintenance for high-use gates
Commercial gates should be inspected periodically, especially when they operate many times each day. Service agreements are available for qualifying properties.
Our commercial gate process
1
Evaluate the property
We review the entrance, traffic, vehicles, surrounding fence, grade, and available space.
2
Select the configuration
Swing, double-drive, sliding, cantilever or a custom hillside design.
3
Plan automation and access
Operator type, entry devices, safety equipment and pedestrian access.
4
Prepare the proposal
The scope identifies the gate, fabrication, operator, access equipment and installation included.
5
Confirm measurements
Field measurements are verified before fabrication begins.
6
Fabricate the gate
The frame and approved custom components are built in our shop.
7
Install the gate system
Posts, supports, the gate and connected fence sections are installed and adjusted.
8
Install automatic equipment
Operators and approved entry devices are installed after the physical gate is ready.
9
Final review
We review gate movement, alignment, clearance and the approved operating components.
Commercial gates across
Western Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma
Our normal service area extends approximately 75 miles from Fort Smith. We may travel farther for larger commercial, industrial, municipal and government projects.
Cantilever entrances, sliding gates and controlled openings
Visit our project gallery for commercial and industrial entrances, cantilever and sliding gates, chain link and ornamental vehicle gates and access-controlled openings. You can also read customer reviews.
What types of commercial gates do you install?
We fabricate and install swing, double-drive, sliding, cantilever, chain link, ornamental iron, pedestrian, and automatic gates.
Do you fabricate commercial gates in-house?
Yes. Custom gates are fabricated through our own metal fabrication facility.
Can you build a gate for tractor-trailers?
Yes. We plan the opening around vehicle size, turning radius, trailer swing, road width, driveway width, and gate setback.
What is a cantilever gate?
A cantilever gate slides across the entrance while being supported beside the opening rather than by a ground track across the driveway.
Can commercial gates be automated?
Yes. Qualifying swing, sliding, and cantilever gates can be integrated with automatic gate operators.
Do you install commercial access control?
Yes. Options may include RFID, cellular keypads, card access, telephone entry, intercoms, and camera integration.
Can you install a separate pedestrian gate?
Yes. Pedestrian gates can be incorporated into commercial entrance systems and may have separate access control.
Can you repair an existing commercial gate?
Yes. We repair qualifying gate frames, hinges, rollers, supports, welds, and related components.
Do you offer ongoing gate maintenance?
Yes. Periodic and annual service agreements are available for qualifying properties.
Do you work with general contractors?
Yes. We bid qualifying commercial, industrial, municipal, and government gate projects.
Do you provide free estimates?
Yes. Provide the property location, opening dimensions, vehicle types, gate requirements, and any automatic-access needs.
A gate system around the property, not just the opening
Tell us the entrance width, largest vehicles using the gate, daily traffic, surrounding fence, grade, and whether you need manual or automatic operation. If the project includes access control, let us know how employees, tenants, visitors, contractors, or delivery vehicles need to enter.
